Road conditions have improved since the morning hours, when many roads were still snow-packed or slush covered. Interstates have had a chance to dry out and the bright sun is helping to melt away any remaining snow elsewhere.

And crews will continue to plow and treat roads ahead of tonight's bitter cold temperature, which could turn any wet, slushy roads to ice.

Snow walloped the area Thursday, with nearly a half foot in the inner suburbs and more than a foot in parts of Maryland. The snowfall eclipsed records at Dulles and Reagan National.

Courtesy Storm Watch 7

High pressure is moving in through the afternoon and the bright sun will melt some of the snow, but temperatures won't rise above the freezing mark, says Storm Watch 7 Meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts.

Virtually all schools in the D.C. area have closed and many businesses in the region are following suit, allowing employees to telework. The federal government opened two hours late, which contributed to a late delay.

Those who ventured out encountered major delays along some of the interstates because of morning crashes, which occurred due to icy conditions.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Temperatures on Friday will only crack the upper 20s to maybe 30 degrees. The
day will be sunny with record-challenging lows.

Overnight, temperatures will fall into the single digits and teens. Any snow that melts during the day will refreeze over night, creating more icy roads.

Temperatures will warm Saturday. Look for partly cloudy skies Saturday with highs in the lower 40s.Sunday will be near 50 and come next week, highs will flirt with the 60 degree mark.

Some good news: Ricketts says from Friday, the next seven days are precipitation free!

TRAFFIC:

Ice-covered roads were reported in Arlington, which effectively ran out of salt.

Drivers should also clear all of the snow off their cars before getting on the road, including the roof, hood and trunk areas before leaving the driveway or garage.

COMMUTING:

Montgomery County’s Ride
On bus will operate under a normal schedule Friday.

Fairfax Connector is running regular weekday service Friday with some exceptions:

Routes 493 and 494 are not operating; use
routes 371/372/373 and 401/402 as alternates for service between Lorton,
Springfield, and Tysons via a transfer at Franconia-Springfield Station.

Route 980 is running reduced service (every
15 minutes)

In Alexandria, DASH buses and the King Street Trolley will not run until 8 a.m. Friday. They say a decision will be made on the schedule soon.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Waterways around the Northeast are beset by ice that is more than a foot thick in some places, making life miserable for those who make their living on the water.

Scott Werner of Portland said this winter has been “a horror show” for lobster fishermen like himself. The ice has prevented him from getting his boat out to fish in recent weeks, and cut into his ability to make money in the already slow winter lobstering season, he said.

“I’m not going to risk it. I don’t want to break anything,” Werner said. “It’s been brutal, but what are you going to do?”

There are several hundred outages in D.C. There are more than 500 Pepco customers in the dark in the District. Also, there are more than 280 customers without power in Prince George's County.

Also, there are more than 280 BGE customers without power as on Monday morning.

by WTOP3/2/2015 9:14:39 PM

Freezing rain encrusts region in layer of ice

WASHINGTON -- The region was ice-encrusted Monday morning, which made commutes a bit more challenging during the morning rush hour.

A day after a storm that brought ice and sleet to the region, icy conditions abounded with some fog mixed in, too. While a majority of main roads have been treated, drivers should be cautious on secondary roads, ramps, bridges and overpasses.

WTOP Traffic's Jack Taylor says drivers should be particularly careful on their own sidewalks, driveways and parking lots Monday morning as well as when driving through neighborhood roads.

A Dense Fog Advisory was in effect until 9 a.m. for much of the WTOP listening area.

The federal government had a delayed start and a number of school systems, including Loudoun in Virginia and Prince George's in Maryland, had a two-hour delay. Prince William County Public Schools were closed.

WTOPWASHINGTON – Well-meaning homeowners may do more harm than good trying to remove ice from sagging tree limbs after Sunday’s freezing rain that coated the region in a layer of ice. “With the ice we…

by WTOP3/2/2015 9:24:42 PM

Blizzard conditions expected for parts of Upper Midwest

AP

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Residents across the Upper Midwest may soon get the snowfall some have been wanting more of this winter.

Winter weather advisories are out for parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin as a March storm approaches.

In Minnesota, the National Weather Service says the storm is expected to move in after midnight Monday and dump several inches of snow until about noon Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — March has definitely roared in like a lion, and with more winter weather in the forecast, some school districts are scrambling to figure out how they’re going to make up for snow days they didn't anticipate.

Students in Stafford County will find their school year longer by one day because of the snow — the school year will end June 15 — and three days where students were supposed to get out early will now turn into full days.

Some school districts, such as Loudoun County, are sitting pretty. They’ve been working off a calendar for the school year since 1990 with 15 snow days built in, and they’ve used 10 days so far. Loudoun has fixed dates for graduations and has no truncated vacations.

Read more and see how other schools are doing with their snow day numbers on WTOP.com.